Focus Ranch is historically one of the original working cattle and dude ranches that invited guests to share in the day to day activities. It officially opened its doors to guests in 1938 although prior to that, friends and relatives would visit the ranch each summer. When it became more important to make money to pay the bills, guests were charged for their stay.
Horseback riding and cattle are the hallmarks of Focus Ranch. The horse is used in the manner for which it was bred, to work!
Pete E. Herding Cattle
We are located on the western Colorado and south central Wyoming border, in a section of the Northern Rocky Mountains called the Sierra Madres. National forest lands in Wyoming join the northern border of the ranch and this is where our 1200 plus head of yearling cattle spend most of the summer. The ranch elevation is approximately 7000 feet and the surrounding peaks soar to 10,000 feet.
Spring is a very active time on the ranch. We receive our cattle from California and work
Laura Herding Cattle
them before they are trailed to the mesa pastures. Here, they remain for a few days to acclimate and become trained to electric fences. While they are on the mesa, we check carefully for any cattle that might need additional doctoring or recovery before moving them to the forest pastures the last week in May. Once the cattle are on the forest pastures, we move them often. As opposed to cows and calves that need prodding along, we often must slow the yearlings down. Thus, we are using the horse in a way to calmly control the pace, wanting the cattle to walk and not run. The more the cattle are moved throughout the season, the more they come to understand they are going to fresh pasture or water – something better.
Trailing Cattle Cottonwood Draw
Fall is noteworthy for both color, Indian summer temperatures and a variety of riding. Many of the yearling cattle have been shipped but we still have cows and calves that need riding through to check on health and then they are moved occasionally to other fall pastures. We may also be doing some back riding in our forest pastures to look for strays.
We may start to get fall rains and this revitalizes the river, much to the delight of the fishermen. There can be no better time than the fall to retreat into nature!
Gretchen at Focus
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